Knicks 125, Bobcats 96

January 24, 2014|Reuters

Knicks 125, Bobcats 96: Carmelo Anthony set a franchise record with 62 points as New York earned an historic victory over visiting Charlotte.

Anthony did his damage on just 35 shot attempts, adding six 3-pointers and 13 rebounds in the greatest game of his career. His point total is the highest ever recorded at Madison Square Garden, surpassing Bernard King's 60-point game on Christmas Day 1984 as the franchise standard.

Al Jefferson's 25 points paced the Bobcats, who fell to 1-4 in their last five road games. Chris Douglas-ROberts had 14 points, Ramon Sessions added 12 and Jannero Pargo had 11 in defeat.

Anthony dominated from the outset, pouring in 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting as the Knicks escaped the opening quarter with a 30-21 lead. He knocked down four long jumpers in the first half of the second quarter to extend New York's lead to double digits, tacked on two more baskets after a brief rest and hit an improbable half-court shot at the buzzer as the Knicks cruised to a 67-46 halftime advantage.

Anthony's assault continued unabated in the second half, as he reeled off New York's first 12 points of the third quarter and surpassed his previous career high of 50 points with a driving layup inside four minutes remaining as the Knicks carried a 101-66 lead into the fourth. Four free throws pushed his total to 60 in the opening minutes of the final frame and he was pulled to a raucous ovation moments after his record-setting jumper with 7:22 remaining.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Anthony also tied an NBA record for the highest point total without recording an assist, originally set by Kobe Bryant in a Dec. 20, 2005 game against Dallas. ... J.R. Smith had 14 points in a reserve role for New York, which improved to 8-15 at MSG. ... Anthony is the first player with 60 or more points in a game since Bryant set the previous MSG scoring record with 61 back on Feb. 2, 2009.